The Thief (Russian: Вор; Vor) is a 1997 film written and directed by Pavel Chukhrai. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and won the Nika Award for Best Picture and Best Directing. Also winner of the International Youth Jury's prize, the President of the Italian Senate's Gold Medal, and the UNICEF Award at the 1997 Venice Film Festival. The film is about a young woman, Katya (Yekaterina Rednikova) and her son Sanya (Misha Philipchuk) who in 1946 meet a veteran Soviet soldier named Tolyan (Vladimir Mashkov). Katya falls in love with Tolyan, who turns out to be a thief, but who also becomes a father figure to Sanya.